All the Flowers of the Field (Excerpt)

Author's Note

I went for a walk in Mountain View Memorial Park (featured in this fictionette's cover art) the day that I first wrote this piece. It's near enough that I can walk there barefoot in the summer. It's a peaceful place and immaculately tended. The big metal plates boast surnames from every part of the world, and the vases hold every kind of flower.

At an intersection of two walkways there's a monument, a simple square brick tower. The cement steps at its base make a nice place to sit and rest, and sometimes write. One evening I discovered that the south face of the tower was actually a door, which fact was made obvious because it was ajar. Inside was where the landscapers kept some of their hand tools and gardening supplies.

I went out there again today to get a photo for this fictionette's cover art. On my way there, I passed a small private lake where a man was contemplating a flock of young Canada geese. When he turned and walked away, one of the geese followed at his heels like an adoring puppy. They were still together, sitting by the water, when I retraced my steps to go home.